“Why was Luther’s marriage so precious to all he stood for as a Reformer? Why was he so eager to let the world see that he was such a devoted husband and father? In short, he believed that, beyond upending the legalistic culture of vows of celibacy, his gospel rediscovery radically re-shaped the reality of the everyday Christian life.”

The family and marriage are under siege today. Meanwhile, there is a marked decline in church attendance. We know these two things, but perhaps we have not been sufficiently clear on is how the two go together, for the gospel and the family go hand in hand. Lose the gospel, and you lose the rationale for the family.

What are we to do? Well, we could learn a good deal from the Reformation, for, very quickly, Martin Luther found that his theological reforms were having a profound impact on marriage and family life in his time.

The Monk Who Married

In the medieval church, the celibate life of monks and nuns was elevated over married life as “the life of angels.” The voluntary vows of celibacy of the early church had become a meritorious work – a kind of spiritual fast track. But justification by faith alone smashed through all this like a pneumatic drill. If vows of celibacy do not earn you salvific merit before God, why bother? The monasteries and nunneries started emptying.

In June 1525, the ex-monk Luther married the ex-nun Katharina von Bora. Their union was not planned and didn’t begin all gooey with love, but Luther said it “made the angels laugh and the devils weep,” for it pressed the issue on his contemporaries: do we really believe that we don’t need vows of celibacy to earn merit before God?

Katie became Martin’s anchor. Their letters are full of jokes and clear affection. He called her his ‘Morning star of Wittenberg’ and named his most beloved New Testament text, Galatians, “his Käthe von Bora.” With her, he safely shared his stresses, concerns, and struggles. He cared for her materially and spiritually, encouraging her to read the Scriptures. Katie was a regular contributor to their theological ‘table talk’, with Luther so enjoying her contributions that he called her “my most holy Mrs doctor,” while others were uncomfortable that a woman should be allowed to participate.

God at Home

Why was Luther’s marriage so precious to all he stood for as a Reformer? Why was he so eager to let the world see that he was such a devoted husband and father? In short, he believed that, beyond upending the legalistic culture of vows of celibacy, his gospel rediscovery radically re-shaped the reality of the everyday Christian life.

God does not need Christians’ good works; rather, our neighbour does. Our works are done to serve and bless others, revealing the character of God. Christians have good from God, and that gospel drives us back into the world to serve others in love.

While in Medieval Roman Catholicism God is in the monastery and not in the market place; in the Mass and not in the home, for Luther and the Reformers, all of life was coram Deo, “before God.” God can be glorified in all of life: at home, as husbands love their wives, as mothers care for their children. In even the little and menial things, the faithful glorify God. Indeed, the Reformers loved 1 Timothy 4:1–5 which denounces those who forbid marriage as “devoting themselves to… teachings of demons,” while everything created by God (as marriage is!) should be received with thanksgiving.

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